Colombia Adds More Medals at the Santa Fe 2026 South American Games After Strong Day

Golden Run on the Track and Velodrome

Track and field delivered some of the delegation’s most explosive moments. Ronal Longa claimed the gold medal in the men’s 100-meter dash, clocking a winning time of 10.10 seconds, as detailed by regional sports coverage. Field events also added to the tally when Yerlin Mesa secured a silver medal in the women’s discus throw with a competitive mark of 55.49 meters. The nation added a bronze in the mixed 4×100 relay, where the quartet of Carlos Flórez, Angélica Gamboa, Carlos Palacios, and Danna Banquez crossed the finish line in 42.37 seconds.

Meanwhile, at the Invencible Velódromo in Rafaela, cycling star Stefany Cuadrado engineered a flawless tactical performance. According to official reports, Cuadrado posted the fastest time in the morning qualification rounds before sweeping her quarterfinal, semifinal, and final heats without needing a single decider. She defeated Chile’s Daniela Colilef in two straight heats to lock up the women’s individual sprint gold for Colombia.

Squash Semifinals and Racquet Sports Showdowns

Colombian athletes also excelled on the squash courts, guaranteeing multiple podium finishes. In the women’s bracket, Lucía Bautista defeated Brazil’s Laura Da Silva in straight games (3-0) to advance to the gold-medal match against Ecuador’s María Moya. The men’s tournament featured an all-Colombian semifinal battle, where Matías Knudsen topped Ronald Palomino 3-1 with game scores of 11-7, 7-11, 5-11, and 9-11. Knudsen advanced to face Peru’s Diego Elías for the tournament title.

Table tennis competitors likewise fought through grueling elimination matches. Carlos Arcila outlasted Brazil’s Leonardo Iizuka 4-3 in a tense round-of-16 clash, while teammate Emmanuel Otálvaro matched that dramatic 4-3 scoreline against Argentina’s Francisco Sanchi to secure their respective spots in the quarterfinals.

Team Sports and Upcoming Schedule

In team disciplines, the men’s indoor volleyball squad opened its Round Robin campaign with a 3-0 defeat against Argentina. The national side looks to rebound in its second fixture against Bolivia. Elsewhere, the nation’s gymnastics contingent continued contributing heavily to the overall medal count, anchored by standout performances from gymnast Ángel Barajas.

Attention now shifts to the archery ranges, where the Colombian recurve and compound teams enter the knockout phases. Morning sessions feature the men’s and women’s recurve elimination brackets running through to the medal matches, followed by the compound team tournaments in the afternoon.